


Heartfelt Connections

by ContraryBee



Series: Heartfelt Connections [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Bigotry & Prejudice, Communication, Dating, Developing Relationship, Domestic Fluff, Emotional, F/M, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, Healthy Relationships, LGBTQ Themes, Love, M/M, Multi, Reunions, Slice of Life, Sweet, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Writer!Ushijima, inconsistent use of first names/last names, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:53:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25863913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ContraryBee/pseuds/ContraryBee
Summary: Life didn't go the way Hinata or Ushijima imagined. Luck or coincidence lets them run into each other again, and...well...there was always a connection, wasn't there?
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Ushijima Wakatoshi, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Series: Heartfelt Connections [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1884583
Comments: 17
Kudos: 238





	1. Chapter 1

“Ah, Hinata.” Ushijima blinks down at the smaller man, still so small, did he grow at all after high school? He still held his coffee and his work laptop and knew he probably looked exhausted and unwashed, but Hinata’s eyes widen in exuberant joy.

“Ushiwaka!” He cries, loud and unashamed, and Ushijima feels torn between feeling embarrassed at the scene he was making and pleased to be so gladly welcomed. “It’s you!” Hinata grins up at him with that same look of awe and sparkling enthusiasm he had years ago, and Ushijima will admit to allowing it to stroke his ego. He lets himself smile, lightly.

“It’s good to see you.” He says, and it’s the truth. Hinata must hear it, because his eyes start to glint in that sparkling way he had, and Ushijima coughs, suddenly hot and sweaty and too tall. “You work here?”

“Yeah, as much as I can while finishing school.” Hinata says, the apron too large for his frame, nearly wrapping entirely around him, but perfect at the same time. He held the broom to sweep up the front entry, unknowingly standing in Ushijima’s way to the back-corner table that was _his_ and nobody could have it. Hinata saw his eyes flicker and leapt sideways out of the way, just as nimble as he was at fifteen.

“Sorry, I’ll let you get back to it.” Hinata says sheepishly, sweeping a bit ineffectually, because he still hasn’t taken his eyes of Ushijima.

Cheeks aching a bit, because he was smiling and wasn’t that odd for him, Ushijima nods to him and steps away.

“When you…” He begins to talk without realizing he had given his tongue permission to do so. It makes him flounder a bit. “Ah, when you have a break, would you like to talk?”

“Yes!” Hinata shines some more, and Ushijima feels entire put on the spot. “So long as I won’t bother you? You seem busy.” Hinata’s warm brown eyes rove his form and Ushijima firmly tells himself that’s a normal thing to do and not…not whatever else it might be.

“Stressed. Deadlines.” He nods a bit, then takes his leave, highly aware that Hinata might be watching him go. Damn, what a day to wear sweatpants. He scrunches his nose to lifts his glasses a little, irritated with the way they slipped when he sweat and—damn! He’s wearing his glasses too! Vaguely he wished he had gotten up showered and dressed better today, if he was going to run into Hinata.

Not that…not that it meant anything.

“You know tall, dark, and handsome?!” His coworker hisses at him when Hinata returns behind the counter.

“Yeah, I know him from high school.” Hinata says at the same low tone, glancing again to find Ushijima frowning at his computer screen, those damn glasses hanging on his nose. Entirely nonplussed to see him, let alone to really stand there with Ushijima Wakatoshi again, Hinata stared unashamedly for a long moment, taking in all the little changes. He was a _man_ now. Wide shoulders, a bit of five o clock shadow, floppy almost too long hair, girth in his biceps and chest and hips and thighs and his _voice_.

Like, a proper _man_.

“Shouyou!” Inori slaps his arm, looking both jealous and gleeful. “You naughty thing, is he an ex?” Her eyes sparkled with the joy of a new scandalous story to gossip about an Hinata flushes.

“No!” He slides behind her, heading to the garbage to look like he was actually working. “I played against him in volleyball a few times, and he was…well, a rival I guess?” Hinata laughs, a bit self-consciously. “Actually, I think I challenged him once, a few times. I was a bit spicy as a kid.”

“Oh, I bet you were.” Inori sighs dreamily, eyes going distant as she leans her elbows on the table. “Two young men, rivals on the court but off it in the changing rooms, challenged by one another in other matters of the heart and a sorrid affair—”

Hinata leaps for her, trying to seal a hand over her mouth. “Hush!” He tries to say around embarrassed laughter, “It was nothing like those stories you love to read! There was nothing…nothing s-sordid!”

Inori giggles, dodging and immediately pretending to be professional when a new customer walks in. Hinata sighs, feeling hot, and continues to work for a bit, organizing, cleaning the stupid blenders, trying to tell himself he wasn’t taking quick looks over to the far corner as often as he could get away with.

Once he caught Ushijima bending over in his seat to grab something from his messenger bag, the long line of his muscled arm in that t-shirt an instant eye-catcher. Hinata forgets himself and sighs a bit, tying and retying the garbage bag absently. 

“You’re right, maybe not sordid.” He starts, as Inori’s eyes twinkle and her smile is wicked from where she tries to hide it behind a sneaky hand. “But I’m sensing some real tension here, perhaps some sweet soft pining instead?” Flushing because he was caught, Hinata tugs the garbage out of the bin and turns away. She laughs mischievously behind him.

“I’m ignoring you!” He calls as he leaves, garbage in hand.

Two hours later, Hinata has a forty-five-minute lunch break, and stripping himself of his identifiable apron, he lets Inori and the new guy Kisuke handle the front. With his drink and rice bento in hand, he approaches Ushijima’s corner with only mild trepidation.

Honestly, those black rimmed glasses cut down on Ushijima’s intimidation factor by at least 50%.

“Hey!” He greets, beaming. Blinking, Ushijima gives him an absent half-smile, and that’s new too. In High School, the man always looked so serious.

“Hello.” Ushijima replies, gathering up his various papers and sliding them away, even going so far as to closing his laptop.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” Hinata says as he sits down, but Ushijima just shakes his head slightly.

“Only writer’s block, and sometimes it’s good to stop it before it becomes a problem.” His hands come together on the table, wrapped around his long-cooled coffee. Hinata tries not to notice how large they are, but he does notice they’re tense.

“You’re a writer?!” Hinata gasps, because he never would have guessed.

“Ah, yes.” Ushijima ducks his head just slightly, almost bashful. And that wasn’t much like old Ushiwaka either. Maybe Hinata had to change tactics.

“That’s really cool.” He switches over to say warmly, sincerely. Because it _was_ cool, even though he did want to ask what happened to his volleyball career. Hinata knew better than anyone that the answer can be uncomfortable. “Can I ask what genre you write?”

“Sure.” Ushijima drinks his coffee, unflinching at how it probably tastes like burnt, lukewarm bean water. “I uh, actually write fantasy series. I’m on my third book now. Swords, and magic, and adventure.”

“Oh cool!” Hinata grins. “My little sister loves those kinds of books, I read them to her when she was young every night. I don’t read much myself, but I remember how much I loved, uh…” Hinata stuffs a piece of chicken in his mouth to buy time, squinting upwards as he tried to remember. “Oh, duh, the Hobbit, I think we read that every year for a decade.”

“Oh, Tolkien, that is a good one.” Ushijima replies, shoulders leveling out from where they had been scrunched by his ears.

“Toru-l-kuei-en, that’s his name.” Hinata gulps down more of his lunch. English was never his strong suit. “Good for you, being published already, that’s awesome!”

“Thank you, I got lucky with my agent. She’s really pushed me.” Ushijima finishes his coffee, head tilting back and throat bobbing.

Feeling his cheeks warm, Hinata glanced away only to find both Inori and Kisuke crouched by the glass food display, staring at them. He puffs out his cheeks and they scatter with high pitched laughs.

“Do you enjoy working here?” Ushijima asks, obviously having noticed the interaction. Hinata clears his throat and tries to pretend his workmates weren’t watching their every move. Probably thinking up dirty things too, by the look of them.

“I do. It pays the bills, I guess, and I also work at a daycare during the day. This in the evenings and weekends.” Hinata lets his lips quirk a little, smothering the bitterness that still tainted his tongue. “I failed out of university, so I’m sort of trying to find my path now.”

“I’m sorry. That sounds hard.” Ushijima says, and it’s so earnest it actually kind of hurts. People normally say that, but inwardly think Hinata’s stupid, or useless, or didn’t work hard enough. Ushijima says it and Hinata can tell he means it.

“It is what it is.” Hinata shrugs, still sad but reconciled to it. “That meant my volleyball career went down the drain too, I still play on the neighborhood team with a few other guys, but it’s not…the same.”

“I know.” Ushijima says, staring at the tabletop. Hinata frowns, wondering if he’s brought up too sensitive a topic before Ushijima leans forward with a sigh, crossing his forearms. “I managed a professional position for over two years, but there was a scandal, and I had a falling out with my mother’s family. I’m lucky I got my agent when I did, otherwise my options were quite limited.”

“Sounds like you’ve had a hard time too.” Hinata says perceptively, sensing some old hurt in Ushijima was still merely scabbed over instead of scarred. The fact that the other was even speaking so much and sharing something so personal with Hinata of all people also told him something about what Ushijima was like now. “I’m sorry to hear that. Maybe it wasn’t luck though and just meant to be, that you took this chance and come out the other side.” When Ushijima looks up, Hinata hits him with his best smile.

“Would you want to meet up sometime, and hang out?” Hinata asks, a little nervously. Just act cool, be calm, confident, don’t give away the game yet. “I can give you my number?”

“Uh…sure.” Ushijima answers, a little hesitantly but Hinata will take it. There’s pen and paper that Ushijima nudges towards him, and Hinata writes out his number in his shaky hand with another big smile.

“Great!” Hinata says, “How about we go—”

“Hinata!” Someone barks, and they both jump. Hinata levers himself to his feet and Ushijima realizes there’s a middle-aged man standing at the staff side of the counter, glowering hatefully at them.

“Takano-san! I’m nearly done my break, I—” Hinata tries to say, but is interrupted rudely by Takano. Ushijima frowns.

“I don’t care, you have your breaks where no one can see you, and you’re over time by at least ten minutes. You’ll stay that extra time at the end of your shift, understand?” Takano doesn’t wait for Hinata to agree. “Get back in your apron and do your job, as best as _you_ can.” With a final sneer, Takano turns and swaggers away, leaving Hinata to grimace and clench his fists.

“I hate that man.” Hinata breathes to Ushijima, who’s frown had only deepened seeing the interaction. It hadn’t even been a half hour. One hand rubbing through his hair and the other grasping his bento to himself, Hinata smiles gently at Ushijima, cheeks pinkening because wow, the man looked so _big_ stuffed into the corner like that.

Watching the smaller man walk away, Ushijima very firmly told his heart to calm the fuck down.

Pounding that hard just because a cute orange haired man smiled at him and said one nice thing was shameful. Trying to appear nonchalant, Ushijima reaches out for the paper where Hinata had written his number, with a cute smiling winky face included, and inputs it with great care into his cell phone. Would it be too much if he sent a message right now?

Ah, it’s Hinata Shouyou. Little if anything will be too much for him.

_It’s Ushijima._

He texts, then closes it up and stuffs it away. Checking the time, he sighs, because it’s a good time as any to wrap up his writing for today. He could still go to the gym. Think over the plot holes he’s somehow created for himself. Think up ideas on how to ask Hinata out on a date without ruining whatever careful balance they had right now.

When he leaves, Hinata looks over and waves exuberantly, and it makes Ushijima smile. This is his new favorite café.


	2. Chapter 2

Hinata flops back onto his tiny bed in his tiny apartment in his tiny run-down building. Staring up at the ceiling, he tries to fight through it but inevitably realizes he can’t do it alone.

Or, rather, doing it alone seems like it would take too much out of him. He doesn’t want to be alone. They’ve only hung out a few times, but he pops into Hinata’s mind immediately as the one he needs. One he trusts.

Grabbing his phone from his pocket, Hinata scrolls to find the right name between deep inhales and carefully controlled exhales. His eyes are blinking fast, trying to quell the itchy feeling that made them want to water.

He calls, without letting himself think of the consequences. It rings twice before it clicks, and a deep voice answers on the other side.

“Hello, this is Ushijima.”

Hinata bites his lip viciously, because just hearing him makes it hard to retain his composure.

“Hey Ushiwaka,” Hinata starts, clearing his throat. “How are you doing?”

“I’m alright.” Ushijima answers, after a beat. “Are _you_ alright?”

He already figured it out, Hinata hasn’t even said ten words yet. Face twisting just to try to keep calm, Hinata laughs a little brokenly.

“No, not really. I got fired.” Rather publicly too. His bottom lip trembles, and he hates how sensitive he is. Kageyama wouldn’t cry to be fired from a shitty job with a shitty manager. Just Hinata, just weak, stupid Hinata.

“Want me to come over?” Ushijima instead asks, directly, and Hinata breaks with his relief.

“Yes.” He whimpers. “Thank you, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. I have the time, and I want to help.” Ushijima answers, perfectly, like he always does. “Please text me the address. Do you need anything?”

Hiccupping, and running a hand over his eyes because he was just falling to pieces, Hinata shook his head. “No, not really. Just company, I guess.” He finishes weakly, and Ushijima grunts at him.

“Alright. I’ll be there soon.”

“Kay. See you.” Hinata closes his phone and sniffs. The emptiness of his one-bedroom apartment weighs in, regardless of the impending arrival of a man that would seem larger than life inside it, and Hinata allows himself to fall apart. If he can get the ugly crying over with, maybe he won’t subject Ushijima to it. So, Hinata bites into his pillow, sobbing, whining and snot rubbing everywhere. He shook so hard it felt like his head would pop off.

Then his doorbell rings.

Leaping to splash his face with water and stripping the pillowcase to hide it with his laundry, Hinata runs to the door and frantically opens all his locks. Ushijima fills the doorway, dressed well in jeans, a long-sleeved shirt, and a brown leather jacket. He looks great.

In contrast, Hinata feels like a gremlin, red cheeked, red eyed, and swamped in his too big t-shirt.

“Hey.” His voice cracks on it, and he bites his lip.

“Shouyou.” Oh, his first name, said with such concern and care. Hinata trembled into nothing, and Ushijima stepped inside, large and imposing but gentle as he takes the door to close it, then presses a large hand between Hinata’s shoulder blades.

They sit on the couch and it’s entirely natural when Hinata starts crying again, for Ushijima to wrap a large arm around his back and cuddle him in so the tears seep into his shirt. Clutching onto the fabric and leeching the warmth from Ushijima’s large body beneath, Hinata allowed himself the liberty of leaning his body weight against him. It was soothing his touch-starved soul, and when large fingers slipped into his hair to cup his scalp, Hinata was entirely under Ushijima’s spell. 

“What happened?”

Sniffling, Hinata rubs at his eyes viciously. Ushijima reaches up and snags his hands, holding them hostage with a firm but careful grip. Man, his hands are tiny in comparison. Oddly, no part of Hinata is frustrated with this as he would have been when he was younger. Instead, he felt entirely safe.

“Takano-san called me up front and gave me this bullshit excuse about my behavior, and work ethic, and fired me loudly right in front of everyone. Inori tried to speak for me, but Takano threatened to fire her too.” Hinata puts his face into Ushijima’s shoulder, absurdly embarrassed. “I tried to argue it, but he got louder and eventually he kind of shouted something about me being too, too—” he hiccups, and tears threaten again.

Ushijima pets his hair, pulling him imperceptibly closer, and just even having his quiet full attention calms Hinata enough to finish his story.

“He said I was too much to work for him, that I’m too flamboyant for a ‘respectful’ café like his, and I made customers uncomfortable. Bullshit. It’s not even his café.” Hinata mumbles, sniffing loudly.

“That’s a stupid and bigoted reason to fire someone. You worked just fine, and customers loved you. You remembered everyone and their orders, and you always smiled.” Ushijima says like it’s all facts, and that’s rather soothing actually.

“Yeah. Thanks. I liked working there, just hated working for him.” Hinata sighs shakily, staring off to the side. “Honestly though, all…this” he gestures at his ugly crying face, “isn’t even really about being fired. I mean, yeah, that sucks ass, but it’s not what really hurts.”

“What hurts the most?” Ushijima asks after a moment of silence, respectful and patient. Fuck, he’s so perfect. Hinata shuffles in closer, turning to stare at the way Ushijima’s neck connected to his shoulder, and how his clavicle dipped under his gorgeous dark skin.

“What am I going to do?” Hinata whispers, voice trembling and lips twisting under the admission. “What am I doing with my life, everything I’ve tried has failed and I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. Which is stupid to say, cause I’m twenty-five and useless, and a waste. A failure. I haven’t even been able to talk to my mum about what to do either, she was so disappointed when I failed school. Natsu doesn’t seem to get that I can’t just go back into volleyball.”

His shoulders shake, and he starts crying again, less violently but more despairing. Ushijima’s arm tightens, and Hinata is crying into his chest before he realizes it.

Ushijima doesn’t say anything for a while, which is nice. He just holds Hinata close, and once, one breathless moment, bends his neck to put his lips to the crown of Hinata’s head. It’s doing wonders for Hinata’s emotional state, and eventually once he cries himself out, he feels miles better than he did.

He sniffs. “Thanks. Sorry for crying on you.”

“I’m glad I can be here.” Ushijima pulls back enough to look him in the eye. They’re close. Closer than they’ve ever been, and Hinata is breathless with it. “However. I do not agree that you are a failure.”

Hinata grimaces, but Ushijima has a hold of his chin now and wasn’t done.

“There have been some setbacks, yes. Some failures, or bad decisions, or whatever. That doesn’t matter anymore. What matters is what you can do going forward. And if I know anything about you, Hinata Shouyou…” His full name reminds Hinata of back in high school, when Ushijima represented everything he’d ever wanted to overcome, a personal milestone, a goal. “…you, will never let anything get you down for long.” There’s a smile flirting with Ushijima’s mouth, and it’s entirely distracting. 

Hinata is surprised when he huffs a laugh, bringing a hand up to cover his silly smile.

“Thanks, Ushiwaka.” Hinata takes his hand. “I really appreciate that.”

“Good.” Ushijima cracks his neck a bit, sore from being so tightly wound around Hinata for so long. “And ignore that bigot of your manager. He sounds like a prick.”

Hinata snorts. “Yeah, the biggest asshole in this prefecture. Complete homophobe.”

“So you are,” Ushijima says carefully, “you uh, you swing both ways?” Oh, cringe, Ushijima grimaces at himself for chickening out. He could have at least said the word _gay_.

“Oh, I don’t swing both ways.” Hinata couldn’t help his mischievous grin. “I swing all ways.”

“All?” Ushijima asks, blinking.

“All.” Hinata licks his lips absently, and Ushijima is ashamed to find himself responding. He clears his throat, straightening his back, before realizing exactly how much of Hinata was pressed against him.

“Good.” He stumbles over his tongue, screwing his lips shut so he doesn’t embarrass himself further. But Hinata is staring at him, that 100% focus in his eyes turning Ushijima into prey. He freezes, as Hinata sways closer.

There’s a sweet, gentle pressure to the corner of his lips, Hinata’s so close he can see the faint freckles around his cheeks and nose. His light eyelashes are fluttered closed, his hands pressed to Ushijima’s chest.

“I like you, Ushiwaka.” Hinata whispers between them, nervous but brave. “Sorry if that…bothers you, but I really, really, do.”

Tongue entirely tied up, Ushijima blinks a few times, trying to force his brain back into action. It’s when Hinata pulls away, a nervous furrow in his forehead that Ushijima seizes hold of the smaller man’s hips and pulls him closer. He moves in, kisses Hinata full on the mouth and closes his eyes to savor it, heart pulsing in his chest and blood rushing through his veins.

Hinata breaths through his nose against his cheek, then sighs into kissing him back, and it’s phenomenal and gentle and careful and everything.

They switch directions, noses brushing as they tilt their heads opposite to find a better angle, and Ushijima massages at the hipbone under his palm. Hinata’s hair is a strange combination of rough and soft, knotted, but licking at his fingertips, and Ushijima realizes that all the care and worries that have been following him for years have left his shoulders for the moment.

This is special.

“Ushi--” Hinata whispers shakily between his lips, and Ushijima can’t help the slight upturn to his lips. He’s smiling when he kisses Hinata again. Shouyou was curling tighter into his arms, small hands gripping at his shoulders.

“Call me by my name. I like you too, Shouyou.” Ushijima says, finally confident in something again. It’s a heady feeling, and he plunges back into the way he was before life derailed. But this time it’s better, he’s sitting on Shouyou’s tiny couch in his tiny bedroom living room in his tiny apartment.

“ _Wakatoshi_.”

And Hinata was breathing his name.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> men being adorbs <3

Hinata sucked harder on his boba tea, cheeks bulging with it. He wants as many of the tiny gummy bubbles as he can get, but he gets lots of liquid too. Ushijima watches with great humor as Hinata’s cheeks swell like a chipmunk’s, then as he swallows the liquid and enjoys chewing on the jellies, completely at peace.

They sat on a park bench, enjoying their third date. It was so easy, to go out. Ushijima’s arm is stretched out the back of the bench, the sun was at that peak hour after dinner, shining golden and orange all around and setting Hinata’s hair on fire.

“Can I ask you,” Hinata swallows with a gulp, a thoughtful crease between his eyebrows, “You don’t have to answer, but I’ve just been wondering. What exactly made you go into writing? Thinking of you in high school, you were…different.”

Ushijima grunts in agreement, looking over the park field to watch a large dog chase a ball, having the time of its life.

“I was.” Ushijima says, swirling his drink. “My parents were divorced many years ago. My mother’s family is very traditional. So traditional in fact, my father had to petition to ask them not to correct my left-handed ness.”

“What?” Hinata sked, shocked. “That’s a thing?”

“Yes.” Ushijima shrugs one bulky shoulder. Hinata shuffles slightly closer, enough that their hips nearly touched. “Volleyball was where I could excel, for myself, for my father, and where my mother and her family could not argue my success. But then, it came out that I am gay. I lost volleyball. My father was supportive, but my mother was not. Either I married a good woman she and grandmother chose, or I would be disowned.”

“Holy shit.” Hinata breathed, heart aching.

“I was not disowned, to save them face. But I was told, very firmly, not to look to them for help.” Ushijima drains his drink.

“That’s awful, Wakatoshi.” Hinata says lowly, heartfelt. “I’m sorry.”

“It was hard, to begin with. But I wasn’t that close to them to begin with. We did not have the same…comfort together as many families do.”

“You didn’t get hugs?” Hinata asks, perceptively, and Ushijima glances at him. The smaller man looks close to crying, lips tight and brows furrowed. Touched, Ushijima puts a hand in his hair and scratches through it, cupping his small jaw for a second just to enjoy being able to do so.

“Not really. I was praised when I did well and ignored when I did not. Being a fantasy writer is the furthest thing from their hope that I would go into finance and make good money and give them grandchildren to carry on their name.” Ushijima feels the familiar pang at the thought that his family did not love him the same way other families did their children, but the stubborn look that crossed over Hinata’s face was a great balm.

“I am going to smother you with love.” He declares, unashamed. It almost makes Ushijima blush. “You will be absolutely sick of me, just you wait.”

“I don’t think that’s possible.” Ushijima admits, and it’s like he shouted it from the rooftops the way that Hinata flushes and hides his beaming face in his hands.

At that moment, Ushijima’s phone rings, and Hinata takes their empty cups towards the public garbage as he answers it. He returns in time to hear Ushijima promise his attendance tonight.

“Gotta be somewhere?” Hinata asks, mildly bummed that their nice day out was coming to an end.

“Do you remember Tendou Satori?” Ushijima asks instead, tucking his phone away and standing. Hinata notices, again, that he barely comes up to his shoulder. So tall, so wide. Strong. Gorgeous.

“Ah.” Hinata blinks, trying to clue back in. “The middle blocker, red hair, kind of strange?”

“That one.” Ushijima smiles slightly at the description. “He’s having a tasting event tonight at his shop and asked if I could come as support. Would you…be my date?” He asks, glancing slightly away. Bashful. Cute.

Hinata reaches forward, elated, and takes his hand in a gentle hold. “I’d love to, Wakatoshi.”

“Good.” Ushijima waffles a second, before capturing Hinata’s hand in a better hold and they begin to walk, cheeks red, hands clasped.

“Do I need, fancier clothes?”

“No, it’s informal. Satori doesn’t care for formalities, I’m sure you remember.”

“Yeah,” Hinata thinks back, thumb brushing on the outside of Ushijima’s large fingers, “I think I remember him saying he wanted to break me before, during a match.”

“He was a little intense.” Ushijima chuckles lowly.

Two hours later, they’d reached Satori’s shop and there’s a lineup out the door.

“Wow.” Hinata stares in shock at the long line of happy patrons, everyone craning to get a look inside.

“Miracle boy!” A familiar voice lilts over everyone’s heads, and the red headed guess-blocker materializes at the door, waving them over with one long arm. He’s wearing a chef’s coat and his hair was cropped close, but it was definitely Tendou.

Tendou gasps dramatically upon finding Hinata at Ushijima’s side. “Tiny blocker-chan! Look at you, all grown up!” He gushes like an adoring aunt, but his handshake is firm and professional.

“Hey!” Hinata beams with all his teeth, “You’re a chocolate-tier person!”

“ _Chocolatier_ ~” Tendou corrects with a French accent, ushering them both inside under the eyes of his adoring patrons. “Come, come in, I’ve got my staff handling the front.”

“Wow!” Hinata says, blinking at the inside where tasteful gold walls were broken up by boxes of gift-wrapped chocolates, and a long counter with a glass face shows hundreds of tiny beautifully sculpted chocolates, many with vibrant paints swiped over top.

“Wakatoshi has seen it before, but I do love when new people come.” Tendou grins widely, hands stretched to show it off like a proud father.

“It smells _so_ _good_ in here.” Hinata tells them seriously, eyes closing and his nose fluttering with how he’s sucking in air. Tendou sneaks a glance at Ushijima, who is watching tiny-blocker-chan with an embarrassingly enamored expression. He grins, charmed despite himself, and gathers Hinata close under his arm.

“Come try them, they taste even better!” He laughs, and handfeeds the first chocolate to Hinata, smirking at Ushijima from behind the orange haired man’s back. Ushijima rolls his eyes but his cheeks pink, and that’s already more than enough of a tell for Tendou.

“He liiiiikes you.” Tendou whispers into Hinata’s ear, utilizing a break in the crowd to snatch Hinata closer and bearing him away from Wakatoshi. Kidnapping? Maybe. But justified. He leans down into Hinata’s face, his typical grin melting his lips away from his teeth. People have told him it’s creepy, and intimidating.

“You think?” Hinata whispers back, gleeful and sweet and entirely too genuine for Tendou to go through with his original shovel talk.

He blinks instead, then cranes up over the heads of his patrons to find Wakatoshi’s narrow eyed glare on him. He shivers.

“Yes, I think.” Tendou leans down, something wholesome filling his heart the same way he can fill a chocolate mold with cherry filling. Oh miracle-boy, how cute. “I know all his secrets, hit me up sometime.”

Hinata’s eyes sparkle at him, and then there’s a large wall of muscle casting a shadow over them both.

“There you are Wakatoshi!” Tendou chirps, standing up to match the other’s height. Hinata cranes his neck up to look at them both, and honestly Tendou wants to coo. “Let’s get you some chocolate, huh?”

They were there for about thirty minutes, but they leave with two bags full of fancy chocolate at no cost because Tendou threw a long limbed hissy fit when Wakatoshi attempted to pay him. Hinata’s stomach ached with the amount of chocolate he ate, but he’s already thinking of that strawberry flavored one.

“That was fun.” Hinata says, absently reaching out to grasp Wakatoshi’s hand. Pleased, Wakatoshi merely grips him back and turns towards the station. “Lots of people, but it was cool seeing Tendou-san so happy.”

“He’s very happy, I am very proud of him.”

“Is he your best friend?” Hinata asks, curious. Then a teasing smile flickers onto his face. “He told me he has all your secrets, and I just need to call him to find them all out.”

“He does.” Wakatoshi chuckles, tugging Hinata closer as the night closes in. “We dated the year after high school, but it became very clear we were just friends.”

“Oh!” Hinata blinks up at him. For an instant, Wakatoshi is worried about admitting such a thing, but Hinata only cuddles his arm closer. “Sounds like me and Kageyama. We tried dating in second year, but it got weird fast. He’s more like a brother, and he’s basically only volleyball-sexual.”

“Do you still talk?” Wakatoshi asks.

“Sometimes. He’s busy. Starting setter for the Adlers, you know, he’s always on away games, or practicing, and I was always working.” Hinata looks up at the warm summer night sky. “Maybe I should try to reconnect.” He muses, something sad filtering into his voice.

They walk for a minute, quiet in their own thoughts.

“I drew back from all my friendships, when I was dropped from my team.” Wakatoshi tells him, rubbing his thumb against Hinata’s small knuckles to distract himself from the memory of how utterly deep he fell into depression. “I thought I didn’t deserve to speak to anyone, that I was a bother. Satori came through and knocked down my door after it all. I wish I had kept hold of him.”

“I’m glad you have him. He’s cool.” Hinata mumbles, leaning closer and putting his lips to Wakatoshi’s bare arm. Wakatoshi’s heart lunges in his chest. 

“I’m sure Kageyama-san is the same.” Wakatoshi tries, swallowing. They’ve nearly gotten to the station, but he takes a chance, drawing Hinata behind a tree.

Quickly, in a flash, he leans down and snags Hinata’s mouth in a searing kiss, tasting chocolate and something entirely Shouyou. His hand on the back of the other’s head, and he can feel Shouyou grasp at his shirt, tugging him closer, and the kiss sends sparks all the way down to his toes.

“I am here now, too.” He says, with a slight gasp when they release, and he can’t even draw up embarrassment for being so soft-hearted and saying something so sweet.

“Good.” Hinata breathes, a little dazed. That’s a good look. Wakatoshi wants to see more of it. He dives down again, and then Hinata’s arms are around his neck and his own are around the other’s body and their pressed together, and Wakatoshi has never liked Tendou’s chocolate more.


	4. Chapter 4

“Natsu’s coming to visit, I want you to meet her!” Shouyou rushes him with when Wakatoshi opens his front door. The smaller man is clutching his messenger back close to himself and his eyes were wide.

“Alright. I would like to meet her.” Wakatoshi answers back, steadfast. He takes Shouyou’s arm to bring him inside, closing the door and helping the other out of his bag and coat while Shouyou is busy internally freaking out.

“You…really?” Shouyou reaches out and grasps him by the elbows, brows furrowed.

“Of course, I do.” Wakatoshi rubs his thumb over the frowning skin and is rewarded with Shouyou leaning into the touch. It still sends a thrill through Wakatoshi whenever his advances are accepted like this. Shouyou has an incredible way of making even the most basic of touches special. “Why are you frightened?”

“I’m not frightened!” Shouyou puffs up like a small bird. Then he deflates. “Okay, I’m a little nervous. The last significant other I brought to meet my family was a girl I dated for two months in university, but both mum and Natsu immediately wanted me to marry her. The relationship ended, and they decided I must have done something wrong, and kept trying to convince me to make it up with her. I love them, and they love me, but…”

“But it’s hard to connect with them about your love life, and what you want.” Wakatoshi guesses, drawing Shouyou into the kitchen.

“Sorry.” Shouyou pouts up at him. “I don’t like complaining to you about my family when yours are full of…” _Assholes_. He doesn’t say it, but also immediately feels bad about thinking it, as Wakatoshi can see the expressions cross his face.

“Come here.” Wakatoshi smiles lightly, lifting Shouyou bodily by the waist to sit him on the counter. Blushing as red as a pomegranate, Shouyou’s embarrassment doesn’t stop him from pulling Wakatoshi closer and closer, wrapping his strong legs around his hips and his arms around his chest. They kiss like that, the perfect height, and the tension in Shouyou drains out with a gentle sigh.

“I want to know about you and your family. Just because mine has so many problems doesn’t mean yours are any less important.” Wakatoshi leans his forehead against his boyfriend’s. He stares until Shouyou is squirming away, beginning to laugh.

“Okay, okay!” Shouyou hides his smile in Wakatoshi’s neck. Then, cheekily, he licks the skin and bites slightly so Wakatoshi can feel his teeth. Snapping the skin with his teeth, Shouyou enjoys how Wakatoshi jerks against him. “You always know what to say.” He murmurs.

“I try.” Wakatoshi replies, quietly, running his large hands from Shouyou’s knees, wrapped around him, up strong thighs, over thin hips, running up his sides and around his shoulders to cup his face and neck and drawing him into a deep, thorough kiss that presses them both together.

Shouyou moans against him, clutching at his back. One hand comes up to his hair, and Wakatoshi grunts when he grips.

“That hurts?” Shouyou whispers, dreamily because the kiss was that distracting but also wanting to know.

“No. I like it.” Wakatoshi says into his cheek, feeling daring. He reaches and grasps around Shouyou’s hips to his ass, pulling him tight against his body and pressing the evidence of it into him. Shouyou gasps, jerking closer, hand tightening in his hair until Wakatoshi is humming in pleasure. “I like that a lot.”

“Oh, I do too.” Shouyou moans, nearly crawling into his arms off the counter, Wakatoshi’s hands on his ass a huge turn on. They continue to kiss, until Wakatoshi firmly slows them down by pinning Shouyou’s head to his chest. He puffs out a breath.

“You are too attractive for your own good.” Shouyou grouses into his shirt but allows him to slow their heartbeats. “You know exactly what to do to get me all—” he breaks off into a growling pouting noise, and Wakatoshi lets himself beam, hidden, at the microwave.

“Don’t worry.” He says. “We’ll get there.”

“Ugh, I hope so.” Shouyou sighs, and then pops his head up to blink at him. “Anyways, dinner with Natsu, Saturday night?”

“Sure.” Wakatoshi presses a sweet kiss to Shouyou’s tiny nose. “I’ll be on my best behavior.”

“I’m not worried about _your_ behavior.” The smaller man grumbles but allows Wakatoshi to step free from him.

Saturday came quickly, and Natsu was picked up from the station by Shouyou, to meet Wakatoshi at their favorite sushi restaurant.

“You’ll like him,” Shouyou chatters, only mildly nervous now that he has his eighteen-year-old sister with him. She’s only as tall as he was, which was nice. If she had outgrown him, Shouyou didn’t know what he’d do.

“I’m sure I will. Wasn’t this the Japan guy you were frightened of in High School?” Natsu asks, dragging her pink suitcase behind her.

“Yes, but he’s a writer now! His books are really good, you’d love them!”

“You’ve said that three times, Onii-chan.”

Natsu met Wakatoshi and immediately fell in love. Perhaps it was when he stood from his seat to welcome them, standing so tall and large and immense but so careful at the same time. Maybe it was when Shouyou stumbled over his tongue with nerves and embarrassment and he merely smiles, correcting without shaming and patiently letting Shouyou talk it out.

“I like you. And you like Shouyou, I can tell.” Natsu beams at him at the end of her three day stay. Blinking, Wakatoshi nodded.

“He is special.”

“He sure is.” Love graces Natsu’s face, and it makes her even more beautiful and mature. “Take care of him for me?”

“Always.”

Shouyou collapses on Wakatoshi when they get back to his apartment, both of them smooshed into the couch. Wakatoshi is entirely too big for it, but somehow, they make it work.

“She’s very sweet.” Wakatoshi offers quietly, running his hands up and down Shouyou’s back. Melting because of the soft touch, Shouyou hums into the man’s chest.

“I’m happy you’re with me, Toshi.” Shouyou sighs, dozing after the day of nervous energy. Wakatoshi smiles at the nickname, and puts his hand in Shouyou’s hair just to feel it. He stared up at the ceiling for nearly an hour, while Shouyou luxuriated in the warmth of his body. He solves a characterization problem for his new book. He lands on what he’s going to buy Shouyou for his birthday next month. He never removes his hands from Shouyou.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shorter, but damn you got some good fluff coming your way guys, I guarantee it!


	5. Chapter 5

Wakatoshi was out at a café to pound through a few chapters, something about the ambiance or whatever helped him focus. Shouyou was only sad that he no longer worked at one so that he could spend all day randomly staring at his gorgeous boyfriend. Huffing, because he’d been so lazy this morning, waking with Wakatoshi to kiss him goodbye, unable to go back to sleep, still in just his boxers, he hasn’t even eaten yet.

Ach. Well. Good as any time to job hunt.

After three hours of searching and sending off resumes, Shouyou was resigned to become an exotic dancer, and honestly, its good money and it looks like fun. The daycare didn’t pay enough for the longer term, and while he did enjoy working there, it sapped all his energy.

Suddenly, a video call interrupted the silence of his apartment. Jumping half a foot in the air, Shouyou blinked at the screen, finding ‘Bakageyama’ flashing. Kageyama was video calling him, randomly, on a Tuesday morning.

He answered.

“Kageya—” Shouyou starts, confused but pleased to see his friend. The other was holding his screen, was it his phone, it was shaking a lot and he had a great view up his nose.

“Hinata, you MORON!” Kageyama’s voice boomed tin-like from his laptop, and Shouyou closed his mouth, bemused.

“Nice to see you too.” Shouyou replies, almost laughing because, of course Kageyama opens with that when they haven’t spoken for...god, since Christmas. Six months? It’s nice that nothing changes between them even though time might pass.

“You’re looking for a job, aren’t you? You applied to the Volley Org.” Kageyama peers down at him, face angular and masculine like it hinted at during high school. He looked healthy, exercised, and sharp. Shouyou wondered what _he_ looked like to Kageyama.

“Uh. Yeah.” He responded, slowly coming to the realization that either Kageyama had found out from somewhere else, or he had Shouyou’s computer bugged. He wouldn’t put it passed the crazy setter.

“I’m affiliated, someone sent your name over asking if I knew you. Don’t take it, they’re going to offer, but don’t.” Kageyama entered a building, and Shouyou recognized it as one of the gyms downtown. He was in Tokyo and hadn’t called?! “I have a job for you.”

“You…what?!” Shouyou gaped, flat footed. The front door opened, and he heard Wakatoshi enter. Usually, Shouyou would already be at the door to smother him in hugs, but he’s a bit distracted right now. “Kageyama, what are you even talking about?”

“Pay attention!” Kageyama barks, and its so familiar, it forces a laugh from Shouyou even past his confusion. A smile tugs at Kageyama’s mouth, so he must be having fun too. Wakatoshi entered the living room with a concerned look, and Shouyou shot him a smile. The large man put away his things, while Shouyou clued back into whatever Kageyama was throwing at him from behind technology.

“Our team has a regular manager that comes with us during games. But we also have a correspondent manager/trainer in Tokyo. She’s retiring end of next month. You need to get that job. I’ve already put my word in and given them your resume, you can expect a call by tomorrow afternoon.” Kageyama was in a change room now, the lights were brighter and Shouyou could see the flickers of blue in his eyes. The determination that shone from them was catching, and Shouyou agreed with an “alright” before really thinking about it.

Wakatoshi sat next to him on the couch, and Shouyou angled the laptop to include them both without a thought. Kageyama seemed to freeze solid.

“Hinata.” His voice was calm, even as what Shouyou assumed were his teammates entered with a loud cacophony of noises behind him. “Why is Ushiwaka in your apartment.” It was barely even a question.

Someone squawked behind him, and the phone jostled. A stranger’s face entered and gaped at them, and Shouyou remembered he wasn’t wearing a shirt. Wakatoshi’s large arm came around his shoulders though, so he was still warm.

“Oi, fuck off Smith!” Kageyama smacked the random man in the head, shoving him away and clutching his phone closer.

“But you said Ushiwaka~ He’s my hero! I wanted to see! Let me meet him, Kags, come on,” the man began to complain, and Shouyou started to snicker. Wakatoshi merely blinked.

“Answer the question, Dumbass.” Kageyama demanded, ignoring his teammate who seemed to go into a dramatic meltdown behind him.

“Oh, I didn’t realize I never told you!” Shouyou beamed, knowing the news would probably shock his old friend. “Toshi and I are dating now!”

Kageyama seemed to choke on his spit. Gleefully, Shouyou made to close the laptop.

“Too bad it looks like you have to get to practice, thanks for the help, Bakayama, I’ll be in touch!” Shouyou got louder towards the end, to try and win against Kageyama’s shouted “hold on—Boke!” And slammed the laptop shut with a laugh.

He took a second to realize that he’d agreed to go to this random job interview, not even one he applied for, to be a…a manager of a volleyball team? Agh!

“It’s good to see him well. I was lined up for the Adlers before I came out.” Wakatoshi quirked his lips into a smile. “I would have played with your setter.”

“My setter would have become your setter.” Shouyou repeated, a little awed. “That’s fate right there.”

“Not sure about that.” Wakatoshi tugged him closer for the greeting he immediately missed when it didn’t come when he got home. They kissed for a long heartbeat of a second, and it settled whatever odd lingering anxiety filled his shoulders from writing for so long. Shouyou crawled into his lap without asking, and it warmed Wakatoshi once more.

“Welcome home, Toshi.” The smaller man whispered against his lips.

“I’m home.” Wakatoshi smiles and tastes the way Shouyou loves him. “You have an interview?”

“Yeah, somehow Bakayama heard I’d applied to a totally different organization, to be a coach for little kids, and he called and basically just ordered me to answer my phone if they call. Should be by tomorrow. Like a corresponding gym-based trainer slash manager I think?” Shouyou frowned, fingers picking at the shirt Wakatoshi wore, a little worried. What if he wasn’t any good anymore? What if he’s forgotten everything about volleyball? What if he’s not qualified? He was barely even good enough to get that job at the café! The one he got FIRED from!

About to dissolve into a mess, Shouyou is surprised when Wakatoshi starts chuckling.

“You look worried, but I don’t know why. You could start playing professionally again, tomorrow.” Wakatoshi looks at him fondly. “We played last week, remember?”

Shouyou was immediately back in that game, with his neighborhood buddies and Wakatoshi on the other side, as big and imposing and unreachable as he ever was as a teenager. God, what a game. It felt so good to fly up for those balls. It felt so good to stare Wakatoshi down like he did when they were young, challenging and undefeatable. Unbidden, a grin scrawls over his face.

“You’re right!” Shouyou laughs, bouncing and reorganizing himself in Wakatoshi’s lap to put his knees on either side of his hips, kneeling up so Wakatoshi’s head is at his chest and he can look down at him with a naughty smile.

“I think I remember a promise towards the end of that game, if I blocked you, you would…” Shouyou trailed off and put his hands up on Wakatoshi’s chest, dragging them around his neck and up into his hair. Large hands with strong fingers clasp his thighs and move to his hips, holding him still. The strength in Wakatoshi seems to magnify, and Shouyou knows without a doubt the man could lift and bench press him fifty times without breaking a sweat.

“I recall something of the same.” Wakatoshi answers, eyes darkening.

“Remember, Toshi?” Shouyou whispers, getting that tingly feeling in his toes that makes him feel like he’s flying. “Remember how I _blocked_ you?”

Wakatoshi’s face turns intense, teeth flashing as he stands. Shouyou is lifted with him, barely a weight, and he starts crowing with laughter as Wakatoshi throws him over his shoulder like a bag of potatoes and marches to the bedroom.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> also short, featuring Waka's mum. Mild...angst? super mild. Just emotional.

“Toshi!” Shouyou bangs into Wakatoshi’s large apartment with a holler. “Toshi, I got the job! They had me start today, for orientation! I got the job! I got it!” He screeches, fighting his shoes and bag off and falling into the living room.

Immediately, he realizes he interrupted something important.

A woman knelt in seiza in front of the coffee table, a cup of tea in her hands. Her clothes are immaculately pressed, her hair up in a bun, her face as emotionless and blank as a painting-less wall. In contrast, Wakatoshi sat on the couch, his elbows on his knees and his hands clasped together. He’s tense as a stone statue.

“Uh.” Shouyou whispers, halfway certain this was Wakatoshi’s mother. “I can come back.” But Wakatoshi looked deeply uncomfortable, not upset thankfully, but shaken.

“No.” It was Wakatohsi’s mother who replied, her voice as firm as the scowl on her face. Maybe it was just her face, Shouyou couldn’t feel any deep tension in her, she wasn’t angry, or being mean. “Please, join us, Hinata-san.”

“Okay.” Shouyou responds weakly, aware of his bare feet and the uncultured way he spoke. Truthfully, he wants to leap into Wakatoshi’s arms to protect him, wrap around his head with all four limbs and scream “he’s mine!” to the world, but he just crosses to the couch and sits next to him. He doesn’t stop from knocking his knee against the other’s in solidarity and is surprised when Wakatoshi lets his head fall forward, hiding his expression in one hand, the other moving to Shouyou’s knee to clasp it.

Ushijima-san’s eyes watch their every move, but she merely takes a sip of her tea. Deciding to ignore her for the moment, regardless of how rude he was being (not like that’s new), Shouyou covers Wakatoshi’s hand with his own and wraps his free arm around his bicep.

“Toshi.” Shouyou whispers, ducking his head to try and catch his eyes. Shoulders shuddering, Wakatoshi took a deep breath and wrapped Shouyou closer, hiding his face in orange hair. Ushijima-san politely averted her eyes.

“What is going on.” Shouyou asked flatly, a little louder, because he’d listen even if Ushijima-san decided to explain why his boyfriend was currently his version of an emotional wreck.

“I had a cancer scare some months ago.” Ushijima-san does answer, putting her tea back down with a gentle sound. The frankness on her face surprises Shouyou. “This was a rather large change to my life, as you can imagine. I am still reconciling myself with it, and with what I have done in my lifetime. It came to my understanding, that I exiled a son I was proud of, over something he could not control.”

Shouyou gaped.

“Yes, I understand your shock.” Ushijima-san smiles almost, and Shouyou is struck by how familiar it was on a female face. Wakatoshi looked like his mother. “I am not one hundred percent there, but I wanted to try. I am here today to apologize for the way I treated my son, and to promise my efforts towards tolerance, and towards acceptance. It is…difficult, to uncover myself from generations of belief. My mother, for instance, will likely be harder to convince.” She sighs and stands.

Wakatoshi stands too, removing himself from the safety of Shouyou’s scent, and bows with his mother to say goodbye. Shouyou pops up, late, and bows too, rushed, so his arms flail behind him. 

“I hope one day you will be able to forgive me for my cruelty, Wakatoshi.” Ushijima-san says, standing straight, hands clasped in front of her. “I do not demand it, nor expect it. But I am going to do my best to open my heart to you, and to the one you love.” She glances to Shouyou and smiles again. It’s tight, and flat, but it’s there. Shouyou flushes and looks sideways, but reaches out for Wakatoshi anyways, small hand swallowed immediately by Wakatoshi’s large one.

“Thank you for agreeing to see me.” She bows again and turns to leave. Wakatoshi seems unable to move, so Shouyou follows her out, closing the door.

He enters the living room again to find Wakatoshi standing there, unmoved. There are tears running down his cheeks, despite his face barely creased into a conflicted expression. Shouyou takes a running leap, vaulting straight over the coffee table into Wakatoshi’s arms and they fall back to the couch, Shouyou clasping his boyfriend to him as tight as he possibly could.

Wakatoshi clings back, hiding his face in his shoulder, and cries silently. Inwardly, pained, Shouyou wonders how often Wakatoshi allowed himself visible tears, and gets depressed at thinking how long his large, emotionally stunted love had been crying in his heart without letting it free.

“I have you.” Shouyou says into Wakatoshi’s hair. “I’m never letting you go Toshi. I have you.” And Wakatoshi grasps him harder, dragging in a painful sounding breath just to cough it out in a sob that sounds like he had forgotten how.

He croons to him for a long while, and eventually they end up with Wakatoshi smothering his face in Shouyou’s chest, laying on him with Shouyou on his back, idly drawing with his fingertips on Wakatoshi’s large back.

“Are you okay, babe?” Shouyou ventures to ask, knees clasping Wakatoshi’s sides to tell him it was okay to not answer too. Granted, Shouyou could go pee but he could also wait as long as Wakatoshi needed.

“Hmn.” Wakatoshi sighs into his shirt. “I was not expecting that when I agreed to a meeting.”

“Sorry I burst in.”

“No, I’m very glad you did. She knew I was dating someone. It was good you got to meet her.” Wakatoshi levers himself up, rubbing at his face. He looked irritated at the way the tears had dried in salty tracks.

“Go wash you face.” Shouyou laughs, urging him on his feet. “I’ll order some pizza tonight.”

“Alright.” Wakatoshi leaned down when Shouyou stood too, kissing him on the mouth with a solemnity that skipped Shouyou’s heartbeat. “Thank you. I would like to talk about your first day. Congratulations.”

It was testament to Wakatoshi’s emotional exhaustion that he was back to clipped sentences. Shouyou merely smiled in return, flushing with love and protection for this large man.

“Thank you.” He lets Wakatoshi meander away but is seized with an urge he couldn’t quell.

“Toshi.” Shouyou cuddles up close to Wakatoshi’s strong back, puts his face in the fabric of his shirt and rubs his smile there. “I love you.” The words fall from him like they’ve always been there, and he can’t bring himself to feel nervous. Wakatoshi clasps his hands where they cross over his taught stomach, and Shouyou can hear Wakatoshi’s feelings in his voice.

“I love you too, Shou. So much. More than anything.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> more angst, but it's healthily managed. <3

They had a fight, quite a large one. They didn’t want to continue living in separate places, but neither really wanted to step outside their comfort zone to leave. The prospect of finding a new place, moving in together, and becoming that close was terrifying. It was scary, and unknown, and even despite their professed wishes to do so, because they loved each other so much, the fight erupted late one Saturday, after a tense dinner date. The conflict stemmed from a deep-seated insecurity on Wakatoshi’s side, a remnant of losing his entire life for being gay, and from Shouyou’s fear of somehow screwing even this up and making a mistake and being a failure in their relationship.

Things were said that weren’t really meant, Wakatoshi left the apartment with a bang, and Shouyou collapsed on the bed to scream into the pillow. Barely ten minutes later, Shouyou felt awful, and realized how utterly cowardly he was being.

He called Wakatoshi, who didn’t pick up.

“I’m sorry, Toshi.” Shouyou sighs into the phone, wrapping his body around the pillow Wakatoshi normally uses. It smelled like his sweat. “I didn’t mean it. I got scared of fucking up again, and I know it’s ridiculous. I shouldn’t have yelled, I’m sorry about that. I want to talk about it again, like we should have to start with. Please come back when you’re ready.” He hangs up after a long second, unsure about what he could also say. But it wasn’t his place to plead or beg Wakatoshi to see him.

It was Wakatoshi’s decision, and even if he found that he didn’t truly want to be with Shouyou anymore, Shouyou would let him go. Not without expressing how much he truly, truly loves him, though, but he would. It was up to Wakatoshi.

Even the thought filled Shouyou’s throat with a terrible sour feeling, strangling him with sorrow and horror and heartbreak despite the fact it hadn’t even happened. He trembled and sobbed quietly, letting it out onto the pillow so t no longer tortured his insides.

“Toshi.” He whimpers, stuffing his face further into the pillow, shaking.

A large familiar hand smoothed his hair, and he startled. He hadn’t heard Wakatoshi enter again. The confused noise that left him was interrupted with a hitched sob, and Wakatoshi shushed him with a rumbling murmur. Curling onto the bed behind him, Wakatoshi put his face into Shouyou’s neck, knees knocking up behind Shouyou’s so he was entirely spooned by the great length of Wakatoshi’s body.

“’m sorry.” Shouyou mumbles, arching his ankle to hook slightly around Wakatoshi’s, grasping the man’s hand where it pulled him close.

“I know. I am too.” Wakatoshi says quietly into his neck. “I heard your message. I never even left the hall.”

Shouyou hiccups a laugh, and lets his tears run out, sniffing loudly and crying into the pillow. Wakatoshi let him, absently kissing Shouyou’s neck every now and then, his warm breaths rustling the downy hairs.

“We got a little worked up.” Shouyou eventually sighs, content to savor Wakatoshi’s hold. “I guess I got upset about it when you said you didn’t want to go too far into ‘this whole thing’. I know you didn’t mean it that way, but it felt like an insult. Like how my old boss was. Then everything else came flooding in and I started thinking that I was messing up already. And that you were ashamed of…me.” He swallows around his last confession, and Wakatoshi can feel the struggle to remain calm in his arms. So brave, his Shouyou.

“Not your fault, you weren’t messing up. I’m not ashamed of you, I’m sorry baby, I never should have said that, it was wrong. My fears overcame me, and I didn’t like that you didn’t seem to be listening. I’d like it if you could be more patient with me, I can take a longer time to decide what to say.” Wakatoshi’s large hand spread to lay flat over Shouyou’s stomach.

“I interrupt you a lot, don’t I?” Shouyou wiggles, breaking the perfect comfortable hold to turn and face his boyfriend. Wakatoshi’s emotions were written in the furrows of his brow, and Shouyou reached up to kiss his chin. Throwing a leg over Wakatoshi’s hip, Shouyou clutched him closer, and they shared air for a bit. “I try to guess what you’re going to say a lot of the time, sorry. I’ll stop.”

“I do like it that you often know what I want before I have to say it.” Wakatoshi admits, brushing his lips over Shouyou’s forehead and over one eye. “Just not all the time. Especially when we get annoyed with each other.”

“It’s not bad though, right, that we fought like that? My parents used to fight a lot, before dad left.” Shouyou admits with a whisper.

“No, I don’t think it’s bad, because we’re doing what we’re doing now. Going over it. Meeting together to find the best way that it doesn’t happen again.” Wakatoshi cups the back of Shouyou’s head, kissing him for a long, soft moment. He pecks, then starts kissing every bit of Shouyou’s face that he can reach. “I love you. So much. I love you, Shou.”

Shouyou hums, reaching to wrap his arms around Wakatoshi’s neck and letting the man roll him onto his back, basking in the affection. “I love you too, Toshi.”

Wakatoshi laves a rather specific kind of kiss against the hollow of Shouyou’s throat, and the rest of the night was spent apologizing through touch.

The next morning, Shouyou got up early and made banana pancakes. The first three burnt, sending a black smoke throughout the apartment thick enough to wake Wakatoshi, but the next three came out very well. Ushering Wakatoshi to the couch, because Shouyou didn’t have a dining table, he brings out breakfast artfully piled on one plate, with syrup and canned peaches and everything.

Wakatoshi rumbles in approval and thanks, kissing his gratitude against Shouyou’s retreating knuckles. Smiling and flushed, Shouyou goes and gets his own plate, and they eat in quiet affection.

“I want to live with you, Toshi. I don’t want to be scared of it anymore, so I’ll be excited instead!” Shouyou proclaims, syrup still dotting his mouth. “What do you think?”

“I agree.” Wakatoshi responds, reaching out and thumbing it off and licking it. Shouyou watches with clear focus. He’s in Wakatoshi’s shirt, and he looked beyond adorable flooded with fabric, strong rounded shoulders peaking out from the stretched collar. “I look forward to waking up with you every morning. To banana pancakes on Sundays. And falling to sleep with you in my arms.”

“We do that anyways.” Shouyou says breathlessly, paused in gathering their dishes.

“Then I look forward to finding out new ways to show you I love you.” Wakatoshi professes, quelling the brief spasm of anxiety for saying something like that. The instant flushing to Shouyou’s face relieves it immediately.

“Toshi!” Shouyou wails, fleeing to the kitchen. “So sappy!” But the way he was trying to hide his smile and blushing cheeks told Wakatoshi how much he loved it. He hummed, and Wakatoshi was about to stand and take over the dishes. Perhaps he could perch Shouyou on the fridge again, keep him out of the way, show off how well Wakatoshi can lift him. Shouyou loves that. Said orange haired man’s voice filters from the kitchen.

“Hey, can you crack the window and set up the air conditioner? There’s so much smoke in here…”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fluff is real with this one bois, get ready.

“A reunion?” Shouyou muses on the phone, stuffing it between his ear and his shoulder while he picked out protein powder. A team of grown men needed to eat so much more even than a team of teenagers.

“Yes!” Yachi crows on the other side. “Book off November nineteenth, will you? I’ll send you the address of the location, it’s a team effort from Nekoma to afford it, so be on your best behavior!”

“Course, I’m looking forward to it!” Shouyou answers. “Can I bring my boyfriend?” There’s a beat of silence on the other side, and Shouyou bites his lip to suppress his smile. He felt like an evil mastermind, despite admitting something so commonplace.

“Excuse me, Shouyou-kun, you have a boyfriend and you have never told me this?” Yachi says, archly.

“Oh, did I forget to mention?” Shouyou throws out as carelessly as he can. “Yeah, for over a year and a half now, we moved in together last week.”

“… _what_?!” Yachi cries, and Shouyou can’t help laughing. “Shouyou! This is serious! Stop laughing!” But she’s started to giggle too, and people are giving Shouyou odd looks in the supermarket.

“Listen, Hisoka, I’ll catch you up on it, I promise.” He smiles into the phone. “I gotta run now, kay? Oh, and a hint, you remember him from high school, I guarantee it.”

“What, Shouyou you can’t just—” Yachi squeals, and Shouyou grins.

“Bye, Yachi!” He hollers at the phone, and hangs up, and instantly knows Yachi is squealing to herself and shouting about how he’s a tease. Ah, well. A reunion sounded like just the thing…maybe he could invite a few people Yachi might not have contacts with?

Hmm.

At home, he calls out, “Wakatoshi!”

“I don’t know who that is.” His boyfriend’s deep voice comes from the living room, probably on his laptop with his cute glasses on his face. “Try again.”

Shouyou laughs, stuffing his shoes haphazardly into his side of the shoe rack. The difference between their organization methods was obvious, between Wakatoshi’s lined up work shoes, athletic shoes, and day shoes, and Shouyou’s jumbled mess.

“ _Toshi_.”

“Better.” Shouyou entered the living to find what he expected, though Wakatoshi was shirtless and a shower towel around his shoulders. His hair was long dry, so he probably got inspired in the shower again. “Welcome home.”

Wakatoshi glances up to greet him, warm smile crossing his face. Other people would probably say it was just a quirk of his left cheek, but Shouyou was now a professional at reading his boyfriend.

“I’m home.” Shouyou collapses beside him with a sigh, falling to put his head on the part of Wakatoshi’s lap that wasn’t covered by laptop. Thick fingers brushed his hair away from his face then drew massaging lines down his forehead, nose, and mouth, and Shouyou smiles against them.

“How’s the gym?” Wakatoshi asks, highlighting something on his screen.

“Oh, you know, still eating like horses. The Bolts are depressed cause they lost their last tournament, and the Adlers are still out of country.” Shouyou yawns.

“You’ve been staying later recently.” Wakatoshi notes, finally closing his laptop and tugging Shouyou closer by the belt. Giggling, Shouyou lets him organize his limbs as he likes, melting into the resulting shoulder massage with a loving sigh.

“I am, I’m sorry. I don’t really mean to, but so long as Kumi is out on maternity leave I’m doing the grocery runs. I had to buy sixteen pails of protein powder today. Sixteen.” Shouyou rolls a bit to put his lips against Wakatoshi’s bare stomach in a chaste kiss. It still makes the muscles twitch a bit.

“Oh, also!” He pops up with a grin. “Yachi called, she’s planning a volleyball reunion, November nineteenth. I’ve already said we’re gonna go, but we should also ask Tendou, and he should ask anyone he knows. Basically, everyone is coming. Karasuno, Nekoma, Fukurodani.”

“That’s nearly three months from now.” Wakatoshi notes, dragging the towel off his shoulders. He seems unconcerned, which means he’s already agreed to go, Shouyou cheered inwardly. Then Wakatoshi reaches forward and very gently slips Shouyou’s jacket off his shoulders. Then his shirt.

Then they’re busy.

A month later, they’re well-dressed and nearly to their destination. Shouyou gapes when Wakatoshi points it out, a skyscraper among skyscrapers, it had a doorman and everything.

They’re pointed in and then the elevator ride is filled with Shouyou’s exclamations over the mirrored walls and gold edging. Amused, Wakatoshi lets him crowd him against the corner for a naughty kiss, mindful that there were probably cameras. The door is open when they arrive, and Shouyou immediately gushes.

“It’s so huge!” He rushes to take off his shoes, and into the full kitchen. There’s a small chorus of voices greeting him, and Wakatoshi can’t help his smile when Shouyou gleefully shouts back. He organizes their shoes better, and then half-priced bottle of wine in hand, he enters too.

Around the kitchen loitered mostly Nekoma members, including the captain Kuroo, the small setter, the small libero, and the ridiculous tall Lev. Also, surprisingly, Semi. Shouyou is currently trying to climb into the setter’s arms, babbling at a ridiculous pace.

The one that used to have a fuzzy bleached mohawk sputters. “U-Ushiwaka?!”

“Good to see you.” Wakatoshi nods, handing the wine over to the small libero, Yaku. 

“Wakatoshi.” Semi greets him warmly, forgoing the handshake for a manly hug. Letting himself smile, much to the shock of several others, Wakatoshi hugs back. “You’re in as great shape as ever, do you still play?”

“Recreationally.” He answers, genuinely happy to see his old teammate, and even the cat’s team.

“Chibi-chan, you’re going to strangle him.” Kuroo laughs, smartly dressed in a lean suit. He’s got a bin of chilled beers in hand, and proceeds to hand them out.

“Kenma!” Shouyou cries out, for the fifth time. He has Kenma in a tight hug and seemed to be fighting tears. For his part, Kenma looked resigned to his fate, absently patting the other on the back. “I watch your streams sometimes, I’m sad you don’t do so many anymore! But you’re the CEO of your own company, that’s so cool!”

Semi nudges Wakatoshi, and they leave the kitchen with beers in hand. At that moment, the door opens with a loud bang and a large group of people come battering in.

“Hey! Hey! Hey!” Ah, Fukurodani. “Bokuto-san!” And Shouyou greets them, of course.

“He really knows everyone, doesn’t he?” Semi says to Wakatoshi, who nods. He is happy to sit to the side and avoid everyone and will admit to watching Shouyou more than anything else.

“Daichi-san! Suga-san! Jerkyshima!” Shouyou shouts, and the tall glasses one, coming in behind everyone with a long-suffering expression, tells him to quiet down.

“Shouyou-kun!” That was the smaller blonde woman, Yachi. “You owe me an explanation!” She chases him around for a solid minute, the both of them laughing and running into others. 

The night is filled with meetings and reunions and laughter. At some point, Lev clicked a button and the entire far wall collapsed, revealing a rooftop patio, including a clear blue pool.

“It’s got a _pool_!” Shouyou shouted, and Wakatoshi makes a quiet bet with Semi on when exactly, Shouyou would end up in the water. Blinking at him in surprise at first, Semi jokes it’s going to happen when they both least expect it.

Happy to remain out of the way of the stampeding members of Karasuno, Fukurodani, and was that Terushima from Jozenji? Wakatoshi enjoyed catching up with his old teammates. Tendou had brought a smorgasbord of chocolates, and half were already gone. The drinks were handed out freely too, and Wakatoshi was pleased to be given a good whiskey by Fukurodani’s setter, standing and speaking with him for a little while.

Then the door bangs open again, and someone shouts “shut up peasants, the queen has arrived!”

“Oikawa!” Half the room shouts in greeting, and it’s exactly the kind of reception the other man was waiting for. Kageyama throws an empty paper plate at him like a frizbee, halfway buzzed. Iwaizumi, the personal trainer of the Olympic team and Shouyou’s coworker, came up behind him with a put-upon sigh.

“Grand King!” Shouyou shouts, hugging him.

“Chibi-chan!” Oikawa grins. “I haven’t seen you since Rio!”

“That’s a lie, you saw him last week when you ambushed me at work.” Iwaizumi glowered.

“Ah, true.”

Tanaka stands on the coffee table and clears his throat. Beside him was his wife, the beautiful Kiyoko, who had only matured more beautiful.

“We have an announcement!” Tanaka shouts, and most people tune in to listen. Karasuno gathers closer together, arms around each other, almost like a family. Wakatoshi admires their connection, and loves that Shouyou was cuddled into the middle, face alive with happiness.

“Ryuu!” Nishinoya cheers, pumping a fist. Tanaka pumps one back with a matching yell and they look about to get into it.

“Ryuu.” Kiyoko says quietly, and it’s like magic how her husband refocuses.

“Announcement!” Tanaka raises his glass; tears shining in his eyes and only love in him when he looks at his wife. “Please welcome the next generation of Karasuno crows, we’re pregnant!” And Kiyoko has her hands on her stomach, and there’s a beat of silence, before the Karasuno team damn near shakes the walls down with their hollering cheers. They pile forward, gathering Tanaka in their arms, and Kiyoko, more gently, wrapped up together and shouting.

There are three cheers from them all, and Kiyoko has a private smile on her face as she sips her orange juice.

“Hitoka, you too.” She whispers, but her womanly voice cuts through the crowd of men like a knife through butter.

“I guess so.” Yachi takes the hand of the tall man beside her, Yamaguchi, and smiles shyly. “We’re getting married.” And once again, Karasuno shouts the roof down.

After that there’s a round of announcements where people say whether they’re getting married, or promoted, or memorably fired (in Bokuto’s case). Shouyou excitedly compares stories with his owl-haired senior, and they laugh together obnoxiously. There’s probably nearly fifty people in this room, scattered throughout, and Shouyou remembers all of them, flitting from one to the next to catch up.

Absently, Wakatoshi shifts and readjusts his pocket, halfway through the plot of his series with Semi and Tendou listening avidly.

Someone touches Wakatoshi on the arm, and it’s Akaashi, who needs help with something in the kitchen. It’s when he’s finished the heavy lifting that he runs into Oikawa directly, who’s face immediately sours.

“Ushijima.” He snipes, and Wakatoshi can’t help his grin. Maybe it was the whiskey making his head feel light and fluffy, but it’s just so funny. Oikawa gapes at him.

“It’s good to see you, too, Oikawa.” He rumbles, throwing one companionable arm around his shoulders. He walks him out of the kitchen, taking immense pleasure in the way most people stared and how Oikawa stared at him like they’ve never met before. “I hope your doing well. Shou tells me you’re in Argentina now. Congratulations.”

“Thanks.” Oikawa says on autopilot, dazedly.

At that moment, Shouyou snatches up Wakatoshi’s abandoned whiskey…was it his third? Immediately, Wakatoshi clears his throat, loud, threatening.

Shouyou freezes, as does half the room. The rest continue to chat, the noise a loud buzz and some kind of music sending out a happy beat from the sound system.

“That is mine.” Wakatoshi raises an eyebrow. Several people edge out of the way.

“I know.” Shouyou answers, eyes darting.

“You’re not allowed my whiskey after last time.”

Someone whispers to another, ‘last time?’ but Wakatoshi only has eyes for Shouyou, who has been riding high on life this whole evening and who looked rather scrumptious in that outfit. He’s beautiful. He’s _trouble_.

“I know.” Shouyou whines, clutching the glass close and attempting to pout. “But it’s so good.” He sticks his tongue in the amber liquid, and someone snorts with laughter.

“Why is he doing this to _Ushijima_?!” Someone from Karasuno hisses to another, nearly protective but also willing to leave Shouyou to get what he deserves.

“Put it down, Shou.” Wakatoshi absently reaches into his pocket and removes his phone, then his wallet, leaving the rest. He places them on the nearest table, eyes still on Shouyou, because he knows how this is going to end. He’s feeling playful, perhaps because of the atmosphere, or maybe the whiskey.

Someone chokes, “I didn’t know they were that close.”

“But _Toshi_ …” Shouyou glances at him, sly, and in one gulp finishes Wakatoshi’s glass, barely even appreciating the flavor. How very dare he.

Wakatoshi sighs like an overworked housewife, before starting forward. Shouyou bounces up and flees, and Wakatoshi counters by going the other way. They play cat and mouse for a quick second, Shouyou attempting to hide behind his old teammate Kageyama, who allows it for only a moment until Wakatoshi draws near, then abandons him to his cruel fate.

“Toshi!” Shouyou squeals when Wakatoshi throws him bodily over his shoulder. A quick pat down confirms he’s not wearing his phone either, which is the norm for Shouyou. The orange haired man claws at him, attempting to break free, but nothing’s getting passed the iron manacles of Wakatoshi’s arms. “I’m sorry, I just wanted a taste!” He squirms like a live fish.

“You knew this was coming.” Wakatoshi tells him simply, leaving the room for the balcony, and heading towards the pool. Everyone’s watching at this point, a silent mass of witnesses to Shouyou’s demise.

“Waka—toshi!” Shouyou screeches, halfway through laughter and the rest through alarm. “Don’t you dare! Toshi! I like these pants!” He wiggles until he’s entirely plastered to Wakatoshi’s shoulders. “You can’t!”

With a halfhearted attempt to remove him from his shoulders, Wakatoshi sighs as though he’s given up. He turns to face the room, back towards the pool.

“Hah!” Shouyou cries, victorious. “You can’t throw me in!”

“It’s really too bad. I liked this shirt.” Wakatoshi says, then falls backward himself. Shouyou starts half a scream before the both of them land with a loud splash in warm water. Despite the ack of air, Wakatoshi can’t help but start laughing underwater, bubbles leaving his mouth. He can only vaguely hear Shouyou laughing too, the weird pressure of water making it dim and the bubbles too loud.

He lets him go immediately, not wanting to actually drown the man he loved, and they both stand to gasp in air. Wakatoshi coughs out water, feeling Shouyou grasp onto him to stay afloat, laughing.

The entire room full of former volleyballers are laughing, Kuroo cackling so hard he’s fallen over halfway on top of Kenma.

“Who is he, that’s not actually _Ushijima_!” Someone cries, with others shouting. It’s chaos, but Wakatoshi only has eyes for Shouyou, who’s hair is slicked to his skull and his shirt is nearly see through.

“Toshi,” Shouyou cries out in mock disapproval, “how could you?!” But he’s laughing, and wrapping his arms around Wakatoshi’s shoulders, and really, he can’t be blamed for kissing him right there.

The room screams again, louder, and Wakatoshi knocks his teeth into Shouyou’s, who can’t seem to stop laughing.

“Are you guys a couple?” Nishinoya shouts, catching on, and Asahi cheers them over his head with a sheepish, but pleased, smile.

“Nearly two years now!” Shouyou crows, proud. Somehow, he’s managed not to give the game away the entire afternoon, this was a surprise to most. He’s stuck to Wakatoshi, but the water is buoyant, so Wakatoshi can free one arm easily enough.

“Yes. About that.” Wakatoshi says, and then holds up the box that he’d sourced from his pocket, wet and dripped but probably fine, up in front of Shouyou’s nose.

Yachi gasps. Someone else whispers ‘ _no way’_ , and the crowd is quelled with whispers and pokes, everyone jostling to get a good angle to watch.

In the pool, Wakatoshi swallows his nerves and thumbs the box open, a small silver ring, smooth and unadorned, twisting out on an interesting folding mechanism so it stands and shines in the light. It’s wet inside the box, but that doesn’t matter. Shouyou’s mouth falls open, because the ring is perfectly sized for his fingers.

“Shouyou. I love you, and I want to be with you the rest of my life. Will you marry me?” Wakatoshi asks, forcing himself to remain calm, keep his voice measured.

Shouyou still gapes, dumbstruck, but something mischievous and thrilled flickering at the edges. He wiggles, one arm slapping the water behind him, and he…

He takes out a flat box too.

“No _way_!” Someone exclaims amid a large chorus of gasps, followed by a thud and a grunt. Several people are sniffling already.

Wakatoshi’s stomach clenches and flutters in turns, and his heart pounds in his chest.

“Toshi, I love you and I want to be with you too. Will…will _you_ marry _me_?” Shouyou asks, nearly laughing and crying at the same time, opening the box and trusting Wakatoshi to keep him afloat in the water. The ring is broad banded, gold, but also unadorned with jewels or designs. It’s a perfect match to the one in Wakatoshi’s hand, and god, it’s from the same store too.

“Yes.” Wakatoshi says at the same time Shouyou cries “Yes!” and they’re kissing once more, desperate. The group comes alive once more, hollering and shouting. Bokuto breaks with a “Whoop!” And launches himself into the water, cannon balling a mere two meters from the kissing couple.

“Don’t drop my ring!” Shouyou shrieks against Wakatoshi’s mouth, who begins laughing as one by one, the others leap into the water to celebrate with them.

They kiss gently, and deeply, and turn in circles in the water. The others are fighting, trying to drown each other, cheering them on, or lifting their drinks. The night is coming on fast, so the light was golden and warm, turning Shouyou’s hair into living flame. Wakatoshi hoists him upwards in the water, the both of them dripping wet.

“ _Toshi_!”

And Hinata is laughing his name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, now complete! 
> 
> Save for the spicy extra chapter I'm gonna post in a different work ;)


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